Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-31
s~.,nendous Project in Great Falls to
mild a Canal Across the Rock.
ies to Bring Vessels
from Astoria.
NJ. Missouri and Columbia to be Con.
nected at q Cost Not Much
in Excess Of the Pan.
anna Canal.
Waxing Great Falls the Future Great
Metropolis Of the Northwest, to
Which St. Paul and Other
MetropOlises Shall be
Tributary.

Metropolises Shall be
Tributary.
GREAT FALLS, N. TT, August 23.-fSpeciaf
Correspondence of The Miner. lin a former
letter l drew attention to the fact hat the
.anitalists who propose to build a great
,ity at this point are in tolerably comfort
able circumstances, being possessed of over
$780, 900, 900 in the aggregate. and it is
> reasonable to conclude that they can in
auence the investment Of a much larger
amount, say 81, 100000. 900. 1t is neces-
mry to fully appreciate this circumstance
before you question the practicability OF
the stupendous scheme that will, 1 believe.
be first disclosed through the columns of
The MINER. It is further neces
sary to understand the following:
The scheme of building a city at
Great Falls stands first in the minds of it's
nroiectors above all the other schemes in
xrLich they are interested or implicated. 1t
ia not their purpose to lay the groundwork
'r a hamlet OF 10, 900 to 80, 900 souls, but
En- huild u city that will rival st. Paul and
Minneapolis within twenty five years.
,ur CONSTRUCTION OF THE MANITOBA ROAD
into Montana is a secondary matter. It
ia merely one OF the factors in the growth
n,G,eat Falls, and it's extension farther
vast or south is merely for the purpose OF
LAYING the rest of the Territory and other
Territories tributary to the Future
Great" While the rapid construction of
the Manitoba is justly regarded as one OF
the wonders OF the nineteenth century. it
will be thrown into the shade, not only by |
the rapid growth OF the city it is intended
to serve. but also by another great work
that will crown it's projectors with glory, |
and add immensely to the growing impor-
lance of Great Falls. As all great projects
are at first treated with ridicuIe, the last
acheme of j. j. Hill and his colleagues will
NOT escape, and | hesitate to be the first to
spring it upon the public, lest |, too. should
come in for a share OF the derision that
will be plentifully sprinkled over the scheme
and all who believe in it. 1t is well known
that Major Rodgers, the pass.inder, has
been for some months exploring the water
courses of Western Montana and Northern
Idaho, ostensibly seeking a shorter route
TO the Pacific for the Manitoba. It now
t%ranspires that his mission has nothing
whatever to do with railrOading. except
that he may lay out a system of feeders for
different sort of public highway. just
hold your breath and take a firm grip of
the table, the shears, the Office towel, or
some other substantial article, while / tell
you that the object of Major Rodgers ex.
p~lorations is to select a route for
A NAL ACRoss THE RoCKIEs
The scheme in brief is to construct an
immense dam across the Missouri here, to
back the water up for a long distance up
Sun River, which has a slight fall, and can
be excavated to a level. A ship canal is to
be cut through the Rockies to one of the
streams that empties into Flathead Lake,
and the vast volume of the Missouri and
Sun River, being turned into the above
lake, will raise the level Of Flathead River,
Clarke's Fork of the Columbia, and the
Columbia itself, so as to afford safe navi-
CATION for large vessels from Astoria to
Great Falls. If surveys demonstrate the
impracticability OF cutting across from
Sun River ON a level. a system OF feeders
will be made to turn the Dearborn, Teton,
Marias and other rivers into the canal at
the head OF Sun River, but if the level grade ,
can be accomplished, all the locks will be
west of the Rockies, and a radical change
will be made in the inland navigation OF
America. The Benton people, who have
been blowing not and cold on the Mani
toba. which they have constantly threat
ened to regulate by their great waterway,
the Missouri, will be left high and dry, as
far as navigation is concerned. They will
get enough out Of the Teton for household
and manufacturing purposes, but the fleet
Of boats that have SO long been the pride
Of the Bentonites will in the future have
to rustic for freights on the bayous OF the
lower Mississippi country.
THE IDEA OF CONNECTING
the Missouri and the Columbia by a canal
is not new. It was suggested first, believe,
BY Lewis and Clarke, and has popped up
in Congress several times within the last
ten years; five years ago in a project to
navigate the Columbia, from the Pacific
Ocean to the Canadian Pacific crossing,
s%urmountiug the rapids by means OF port
age railroads. All these ideas have been
carefully digested by Hill and his colleagues,
and they now believe that by increasing the
volume of the Columbia portage, railroads
will be rendered unnecessary, except in one
or two instances. 1t is we'll known that
stea mboats can pass Priest Rapids and
Rock Island Rapids at high water. II any
railroads. are built. they will be ship rail-
roads on the Eads plan, and l understand
that one or two OF these will be required on
Carke's Fork. The canal across the
Rockies
WILL BE IN PART A TUNNEL.
similar to tn ose proposed in several vi the
Panama canal schemes. While a tremen-
dous extent O! country is to be covered by
this scheme, it is not likely that the cos OF
carrying it to completion will greatly ex-
coed that of De Lesseps' canal across the
Isthmus OF Panama. The actual
length OF the canal will not be much
greater, there is nothing but good honest
material to be handled. and when work 10
done it will not be destroyed by Hoods
from tropical storms. Some dykes VIII
have to be built on the 10 "er Sun River
and on Flathead Lake, but altogether the
extra work will not compare with that on
the Panama Canal, and after the surveys
have been made, very accurate estimates
OF the cost can be arrived at.
MANY WILL ASK,
what is the use of a canal at this day?
Who will ship by a canal WHEEL there are
railroads to carry the freight, and where
expedition has become q most Important
consideration? The answer to this Is tnaI
the cost of building and operating rail-
roads through the mountains from the
Upper Missouri to the coast is SO preat
that freights can never be carried cheap!v
over them. The rates are. and always win
he, practically prohibitory on the trans
portation for long distances, OF the mag
nifcent timber OF the Cascade region.
while the wheat growers OF Eastern Oregon
and Washington can never hope to receive
cheaper transportation is provided. While
many people build imaginary RAILROADS.
across the mountains on the Car OF nus.
sla's plan, when it comes down. to business
1t is mighty hard to find a possible roote
Tor a road from Montana to the coast, n
no very direct route can be found. The
great inter mountain canal will transport
slowly, but surely and cheaply, the LUMBER
oithe Cascade region to the prairles eas.
Z" "NnA